Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-17


m tno insane who arc now confined In jais be-
eaufe OF insufhcient accommodations at the
I,kulef asylums erected for that purpose
ross The hope that n possible you viii
,.s,. on such other subjects as in yourludg
fa 80 sne popiic interests may require.
=, hNety attempt TO effect final sottiement Of
VIZ ssos question NV tho Legislature has al
NAY Nays pecn eccompanied with embsrrassments.
,ii ~. aa iSssed In ls'l, known as the funding
mas snrown aside by the people at tho first
opportunity afforded thom TO do So II attempt
ca ~, 70 pind NE State for the payment OF more
uhh nNe million dollars Of wac-interest and 10
eepIiVpilate Tor the claims OF creditors funds
nNlp,ahly appropriated to tho cause Of cduca.
uon uy The Constitution, which was adopted
NnR anterior 10 the passage OF eaid uili
suttequent ineasure--tho settlement OF
iss,, snown az the McCuiloch bill
thought ~ many 20 DO within the ability
q The state 70 carry out without increase OF
taxation bccausc Of certain concessions by tho
Htult0ft, bnt lhis, too, received at The polls the
condemnation Of a majority OF the voters and
it~ advocates for tho Legislature In most Of tho
counties ana lts supporters who waro candl-
ua.es TOT me govomorhip and other State
onlcos were defeated. After long and
..I p...I eei@'ion OF tho question the act
sIItovcd February II, 1889. became a law
ON U demand OF the party which assumed tho
ftlne OF government In consequence Of their
advocacy OF H. Al attempts by their po-
htcai opponents 20 make other settle
or amount Of principal aud interest
having iancd, q pledge was finally given
~ Them not t0 disturb or repeal the settle
ment thus decreed 10y "A msiority OF the voters,
and ibc public approval OF the sentiment of
mat settlement as it stands to-day has re-
ceived no public disapproval either by conyen-
lions OF political parties or by legislatures, 70
that Il may be said that the people. without
reference to party distinction, are Of one mind
IN their resolution to uphold and maintain Il
In all iis integrity AMI by all lawful means
IN former message had the honor 10 ad-
dress 70 tho General Assembly ] called at
teniion TO The fact that Virginia had been
for four years the battle-ground for CON
tending hosts: that her soil has been
cSharstoo 20 supply armies; that houses.
barns, farming Implements, and fences
have been destroyed; that her industries
had been paralyzod: that the whoels OF hor
commerce had been stopped thai tho fires In
her furnaces had been cxtinCuishcd; that her
sons had fallen beneath shot and shell or had
been cnfeebled by exposure and disease; that
her capitol city had been swept by Ere, and
her boundaries changed 80 as 10 show two
states where only one had previous existence,
and that her citizens in returning TO their avo-
cations after the war; In most instances had 10
begin their business lives again for though the
land was before them, 1t was confronted with
a change in the lator system. while stock
OF AL kinds had 10 be provided, IL IS
easy, therefore, TO perceive that the con-
ditiOn Of the state was far different from
the one she occupied when the debt was con-
Tactcd. IL appears, too. that the settlement Of
1871, which gave birth 70 the coupon, involved
lnrger amount Of indebtedness than was within
the ability of the state under ali these cirruu-
stances TO p0y. The platform Of the party now
IN power in the State promised an acceptance
Of the settlement OF 1S8l-S2 which had then
been declared constitutional by the courts, both
STATE and Federal, ana 10 cease all further agi-
tetiOn Of the question, or any disturbance of
that settlement by repeal or otherwise. Ii was
only after the sudden reversal Of its own deci-
sion by the Supreme Court OF the United States
that further legislation was necessary for the
protection of the interests Of the State.
REVENUES
From the statements carefully prepared by
the Auditors II appears that the annual reve-
nues for some years 10 come will not exceed
s2.sOO.0OO and that II the outstanding oblige-
tons Of the State should be funded into bonds
under the McGleberger bill, except those held
by institutions of learning, the interest 70 be
paid, added 10 the necessary annual expenses,
would about absorb this income. The inatili-
ty OF the S.a;e 70 make settlement now with
a greatly amount OF principal and interesttha
the Hiddlebergcr act. whatever she might have
done once, arises from an increase in her an
punl expenses, such rs maintaining two
additional lunatic asylums, one for the
white and one for the colored; the
maintenance of normal and COLLEGIATE
institute for cur colOrcd people, and
school Tor the education of our female teacn-
ers: aid TO the Confederate Home for our poor
ana disabled soldiers, over whose shoulders
rests no mantle OF governmental protection:
assistance 10 citizens Of the State who haye lost
q limb or an eye or have been seriously disa-
blcd by wounds, 20 as 20 prevent them from
performing manual labor. and whose wounds
grow more DuydCnsome with tho increase Of
years: the increased expenses OF our criminal
charges since the abolition of tho whipping
post, and the increased appropriations to our
public schools. These are some of the neces-
sCry obligations incurred, while IN tho same
period tho Statc taxes have been reduced from
fifty 10 forty cents on the one hundred dollars.
Accompanying This is an estimate in detail
O' the annual expenses of the Government, 20
which respectfully call your attention, 40 that
you may sec that IL TO the gross amount given
Is added the amount OF interest which the Rid
dleberger bonds carry, the present revenue of
the State viii be absorbed. There are two
mcthocs only by which sho can pay q greater
Gn cunt OF interest than this settlement calls
hy reduction OF the present eX.
/ cnses or an Increase Of tho present revenues.